Weird, wonderful - and sometimes downright unbelievable - dispatches from the front line of the animal kingdom. By Augustus Brown.

Friday, November 17, 2006

A Week On The WIld Side, November 17th, 2006

Things that caught my eye - and ear - this week:

Not So Happy Landings

Now we know why a dastardly leopard seal is the villain of the new animation movie Happy Feet. The leopard seal stalks the Antarctic waters in search of emperor penguins, often striking when the birds are most vulnerable - as they enter and leave the water. As this gruesome National Geographic footage shows , whether a penguin escapes the seal’s clutches or not is often a matter of luck. Some enter and leave the water safely, others make not so happy landings...

How To Control A Spooked Camel

Things you really need to know: No 19199. This is WikiHow’s rather excellent advice on how to regain control of a freaked out camel. I particularly like the tip about not pulling too hard on the reins in case you yank out the peg implanted in the camel’s nose.

How Does A Barkless Dog Sing? In a very, very weird voice, that’s how. The Basenji is the only breed of dog that can’t bark. But as this recording of a Basenji accompanying a flute reveals, they can make a whining sound that really doesn't seem to be of this world.